Gun-mount.



PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAIM A. ROBERTS, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

GUN -MO UN T.

ToaZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. RoBER'rs, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province ofQuebec, Dominion of Canada, suV perintendent, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Gun-Mounts; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to mounts `for machine guns but mayalso be used in supporting a rifle, Carbine or the like in the tuitionof shooting.

With machine gun mounts which have been used up to the present time thegun had to be traversed in a plane parallel to the plane of its base,and consequently if a machine gun Awas positioned on a hillside orembankment and it was desired to traverse in a horizontal plane thesupporting member had to be sunk in the ground until the plane of thebase corresponded with the desired traversing plane. This has provedvery undesirable in many respects and ,particularly where the hurriedpositioning or removal of `a gun isof vital importance and as very oftenthe nature of the ground prevents the embedding of the supporting memberconsiderable time is wasted 'in seeking a desirableposition. i

Then again in the tuition of shooting, the

instructors `have been seriously hindered in their work owin to lackl ofa support for fthe rifle or carbine which will enable the marksman to.cant or traverse the firearm at able support of the required height andthe unstable qualities of the sand have proved very unsatisfactory.

The objects of my invention are therefore to produce a mount which whenuse d as a support for a machine gun can be positioned on either anincline or horizontal surface without necessitating the embeddin of thesupporting members and which wil enable the gun to have universalmovement thereon; and when used as a support for a rifle i or likefirearm in the tuition of shooting,

will enable the rifle to be ca nted or traversed at will and the aimedposition maintained.

`More specifically stated the invention may Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Application led April 7, 1916. Serial No. 89,594.

be said to consist of a gun-mount comprising a base member, a guncarrier, and an positions in which the gun mount may be used; o

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the upper portion of one of .thelegs of the tripod;

v Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the universal hingedrawn to a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the universal hinge;and v Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the legs of the mount.

My improved gun mount comprises a base .member or tripod 2, a gun seat 3and a balLand-socket ljoint 4: effecting a universal connection betweenthe carrier and base member, means offering a yielding resistance to the-Inovement of the ball in the socket and means rigidly maintaining tlieball in the socket in any position.

The base member consists of a socket 5 pivotally supported j uponpreferably three legs 6 each consisting of two parts 7 and 8 joinedtogetherV at their ends by a pivotal connection V9.

This joint 9 between the upper and lower parts of the legs is adapted toprovide an extended foot for the gun when firing with the operator inprone position. The joint consists of a two-part casting Withintermeshing knuckles. One of these joint parts 92, is forked to`receive the other part 93 between itsV prongs, the body of the part 92being chambered to present a beveled face 94 with which the beveled face95 of the other part engages when the knuckles are hinged together andthe leg is extended. In this latter position the engaging parts 94 and95 are locked by a slidable sleeve 96.

It will be seen that the gun may be operated by a marksman lying proneor kneelglhe carrier 3 is of the usual construction employed in machinegun mounts and consists of a seat proper 15 having a downward projection16 upon its underside adapted to iio be seated in an axial boringj in:theA upper end' of a. shank 17?; This shank constitutesa; part oftheballfanttsocket joint -il effecting a universal connection between thegun e carrier and base member or tripod.1 Relative axial displacementbetweeny the projection andv shank is prevented byV a. set-screwl 18 inthe latter and. adapted. to entera circumferential groove 1'9" in theformen. A.

clamping screw 50 is mounted inx the shank and is' adapted tobear: uponthe projection 1G for the purpose of.- preventing relative movement.between the two members;

The universal' joint consists. of a ball'. 2.0y mounted in. a. sphericalchamber in the -socket 5 which isf also of substantial-ly sphericallform andV madein twoy partsY G5? and 66fsecured1i-rigidlfy' together.The pivotal. connection. between the'v legs and. thel lowerl member1 6.6of they socket consists of a series of' spaced. radially projecting;lugs- 22 on' the lower member,. the upperl end of: each leg; beingvforked as at 2.3 to straddle thelug 221 and; a lug 24 on this forked!end? of the leg; engages a. stop 25y onk the" lug' 22;. Hinge pins- 222.join the legs to thef socket.. The ball is-liollow' and. formed inhalves 201'. and. 200 the lower' hal'ff having the. lower end .ofr the'rshank; 17 carried therein and', formed integrally therewith.. From thispoint thel shank. projects: upwardlythrong-lt an. open ing 25l in theupper half 20.0 of.'y the,L ball..

In order toV offer a yielding resistznice'f tor the movement of theball. the socket for thel purpose of yielding-ly maintaining the gun.or: riie in the aimed position, a helical spring 7 5 encircling theshank. 11.7 is located between the halves of the ball and. it tends toseparate them thus' producing. the? desired. friction between the balland the Awall of the socket. A K

Toprovide. meansfor rigidly maintainingtheiball the socket in: the`aimed posi-- tiony the lower member is offset downwardly to provide acircular: chamber4 30S.. Within the chamber isJ carried a friction.block. 31 of liberA or any suitable. friction. material, having aconcaved surface adapted toy beary .upon the ball. Thisl frictionblockis caused to bear upon'. the ball by az. bearing disk 32 accommodated inai recess 300 in the bottom` i of the chamberv andi acted; upon bythescrew-threaded. shank of a. handle 34.. The: pressure onthe ball isvaried. by' the turn-l ingoff this handle..

It will be seen that with the above uni"- versal connection. between thetripod or sup-v .ortingf member andthe gun, the; latter may le canted.to either the right or: left, trav'-V ersed in a complete circle orelevated' or depressed to an extent of. 455 above'y orI below thehorizontal plane.V

In order to lengthen-f the' legsof the supporting member for the purposeof1 employing the mount in the` tuition: of shooting. the

lower part ofv each leg is' constructed in.

sleeve form as indu-:ated inf llig.. 5 and n telescopic member 250.slida-bly mounted therein. 'lhis member is maintained in eX- tended`position by a. gra-vity pawl 2.51 and.

inthe telescoped position by a set-screw 252'..

lVhati I claim isas follows;

11. A. guna-mount consisting of a supporting member, a gun-seat having;a downwardly extending; shank, a ball-and-socket' joint effecting a.universal connection between tlie supporting memberA andi seat, said.ball consisting' of twov members and a heli.- cal'r spring locatedbetween the mer'nbers and adapted tof offer yielding resistance to. themovement of Jdiev ball in; the. socketi,.the said shank. providingmeans: for: supporting the. pivoted gun-seat. L

2.. A gun-mount consisting of` a. supporting member, a gun-seat having adownward?, projection, a ballandfsocket joint effecting a: universal'yconnection: between the supportA ing'member and seat,. said ballconsisting of two members one of' which has anv internal. integral.shank projecting through a, hole in the otherl member, and ahelicalsp1-ingl lo:- cated: between tile members and. encircling;l the shankand bearingbetween theZ interior surfacesl of the said' members andadapted. t0. offer a yielding' resistance toI thev move:- mentr of,V theball in the socket, the Said .shank providing means. for supporting the;

pivoted gun-seat..

A gun-mount consisting of a, supporting member, a gun-seat having adownward. projection, a ball.'and'socketi joint effecting a universaliconnecti'onbetween the support ing' member and seat, said ballconsisting, of"

two members one of whichhas' an, internal integral shank protrudingthrough a hole in the other member, and. a. helical. spring. located.between@y the members:` and. adapted. to oder a; yielding resistance.yto the mover ment' o f the ball inthe socket the said shank being 1n theform of a socketY and receiving.V

lower,7V part in extended position; and meansfor limiting outwardmovement Vot' the leg; a gun seat and a. universaly connection betweenthe seat andi the supporting member.

5. A gun mount consisting of au support;-- ing or base memberlcomprising a socket having a plurality ofy radially projecting lugs; a.plurality of. legs supporting said socket each leg consisting of twoparts thel ends of the upper part being forked and thev upper endthereof stradcrlling and being pivotally connected to one of theradially projecting lugs on the socket; a lug on said forked upper endadapted to engage the lug on the socket;V for the purpose of limitingoutward movement of the upper part, the lower end of the upper partbeing adapted to straddle the upper end of the lower, part and beingpivotally connected thereto, such lower part being adapted to act as a'shoe for the upper part in one position and as an extension of thelatter in another position, the upper` end of the lower, part andthelower end of the upper part presenting beveled faces adapted to comeinto contact when the lower member is in extended position, and a collaron the upper part adapted to encircle the overlapping ends for thepurpose of preventing elative displacement between the two memers;

slidably mounted therein; means for limiting outward movement of thetelescopic member; means for rigidly maintaining the said main member intelescoped position; and means for maintaining such member in extendedposition.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. ROBERTS.

Witnesses z WILLIAM HEWETsoN, DAVID ROBERGE.

